Welded structural member



Oct. 14, 1941. G GREUI ICH Re. 21,921 WELDED STRUCTURAL MEMBER OriginalFil'ed Deb.

6 N N I 7 EU DOA ma B r//// U ///////////A////////////////// W m V A aw. mw E 6 Reissued Oct. 14, 1941 UNITED STATE WELDED STRUCTURAL MEMBER.

Gerald G. Greulich, Mount Lebanon, Pa.

Original No. 2,108,373. dated February 15, 1938,

Serial No. 118,663, December 31, 1936. Application for reissue DeceClaims. (Cl. 189-37) This invention relates to the production of weldedstructures by means of a suitable web and a flange welded thereto.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the descriptionproceeds, in which:

Figure 1' is a perspective view of the assembled structure;

Figure 2 is a detailed transverse sectional view showing the flange andweb before welding;

Figure 3 is a detailed sectional view showing the flange and web afterwelding: and

mber 20, 1939, Serial No.

of the folded flange may be equal to or greater than the thickness ofthe web. As an example of the ratio of thickness between the singlethickness of metal in the flange and the web,

I propose that this single thickness of the material from which theflange is formed should Figure 4 is a detailed section of the web edge.

In the drawing, the numeral 2 designates the web, which is of singlethickness of metal. The

web may be a plain straight sheet of metal or,

back over the intermediate portion oi the piece;

so as to provide an intermediate or outer body portion 5 and an innerbody portion 8. The inner body portion 6 is preferably spaced from theouter .body portion 5, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, and

the extreme outer ends of the piece are bent outwardly to'a positionsubstantially perpendicular to the outer body portions 5 and centrallythereof so as to provide outwardly extending portions or wings 1. Theoutwardly extending portions or wings I are substantially parallel toeach other and spaced apart preferably a distance slightly more than thethickness of the edge portions of the web 2 so as to provide alongitudinally extending slot or groove therebetween extendingthroughout the length of the flange.

The web 2 is then positioned in the longitudinally extending slot orgroove between the outwardly extending portions I of the flange in conetact with the inner faces of the same with the edge of the webpreferably abutting firmly against the inner face 8 of the intermediateor outer body portion 5. When in such position, the web and both theoutwardly extending portions I are suitably secured together preferablyby being spot welded at the projections 3 and I, or if the edge portionsof the web are flat and straight,

the edge portions of the web and the outwardly extending portions 1 arespot welded at various points along the entire length thereof.

While I prefer that the thickness of the metal in the flange be lessthan the thickness of the metal in the web 2, if desired, the totalthickness range between '70 and 95 per cent. of the thickness of the webmetal or the combined total thickness of the doubled-up flange shouldrange from 140 to 190. per cent. of the total web thickness. By such adifferential in the web and flange thicknesses, it is possible to obtainunlimited combination of web and flange sizes which permits productionof any depth, width and height of beam desired.

Also, it is desired that the web 2 contact the inner face of the outerportion of the flange and, in so doing, reduce the amount of'weldingrequired and at the same time produce a beam structure having suitableadvantages over the beams of the present construction.

The principle involved herein may be applied with web members and flangemembers of other I thereof.

without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined in thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. A structural member comprising at least one I flange formed from asingle piece of metal bent backupon itself toprovide a double thicknessof metal in spaced relationship and including laterally extendedportions from the inner portion of said flange and a web provided with aplurality of projections extending alternately from each side thereofpositioned between said laterally extended portions and welded theretoat the points said projections contact saidlaterallyv extended flangeportions, said web adapted to project beyond the inner portion of saidflangeto contact the inner face of the outer portion 2; The-method ofmaking a metal beam which includes making amet beam web in the form ofan elongatedstrip of metal having opposite edgeportions, making aunitary metal beam flange comprising laterally opposite integrallyconnected longitudinally extending flange portions, with alongitudinally extending wing on prising laterally opposite integrallyconnected flange portions and an inwardly open groove extendinglongitudinally therealong, seatingl an edge portion of the web in thegroove and welding the edge portion of the web to the side walls of thegroove.

4. The method of making a beam which includes forming an elongated sheetmetal web having a longitudinally extending substantially flat edgeportion, forming a unitary elongated sheet metal flange havinglongitudinally extending wings thereon, with the wings spaced apart toproyide a longitudinally extending groove between the wings havingsubstantially parallel side walls, inserting the edge portion of the webinto the groove with opposite faces of the edge portion of the websubstantially engaging the side walls of the groove and welding thefaces of the web edge portion to the side walls of the groove.

5. The method of making a beam which includes forming an elongated sheetmetal web having a longitudinally extending edge portion, forming anelongated unitary sheet metal flange comprising integrally connected,laterally opposite, longitudinally extending flange portions andlongitudinally extending wings integrally connected with the flange, andwith the wings spaced apart .to provide a longitudinally extendinggroove between the wings and the grooves having confronting side walls,inserting the edge portion of the web into the groove with oppositefaces of the edge portion of the web substantially engaging the sidewalls of the groove, and welding. the faces of the web edge portion tothe side walls of the groove.

GERALD G. GREULICH.

